Constipation is one of the most common side effects when you are taking opioids for pain.
Most people recommend that changing your diet or lifestyle to include more fiber and incorporating more physical activity into your routine will help to alleviate constipation. However, this may not always work, so there are medications that are available to help treat your opiate constipation.
Laxatives are usually the type of medication that will help to relieve opiate constipation. There are several laxatives that are available for purchase over-the-counter and can usually be found at your local drugstore.
A laxative, or stool softener, will help stool move through the intestines more easily.
Go see your doctor or professional healthcare provider who will be able to provide you with the treatments that can help with your case of opiate constipation. Usually, laxatives will take effect within a few days, or even a few hours.
If laxatives do not seem to be working, then your doctor may prescribe medications that are specifically meant for opiate constipation. These medications will usually help to block the effects that your opioid medication has on your intestines and gut.
Most of these medications come in the form of a pill, such as Lubiprostone (Amitzia), Naldemedine (Symproic) or Naloxegol (Movantik). Methylnaltrexone (Relistor) is one of the only medications in the United States that is available in the form of an injection.
Another suggestion that your doctor could make is to change the type of opioid that you are using to treat your pain. All opioids can cause constipation, but a different opioid may have a lesser effect than the one you are currently using.
The best thing to do is talk to your doctor about your condition so that you are both able to decide which treatment will offer the best results to alleviate your opiate constipation.
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